


Better Dig Two

by parkrstark



Category: Castle
Genre: Buried Alive, Case Fic, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 22:11:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5265554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team finds their newest vic buried alive in Central Park and they quickly set out to find the killer. The killer wasn't hard to find, it's finding Ryan before it's too late that proves to be the real challenge</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Dig Two

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this for a while. And by a while, I mean probably a year. But I was never satisfied with it. I'm not really happy with this one either, and I was on the fence about posting, but I didn't want 8k words to go to waste. 
> 
> This is pre-slash because I have another 3k words where they get together, but I'm not sure if I'm to post that. Maybe if you guys want more I'll fix it up and post it as a deleted scene kinda thing. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it:)

"Hold my coffee, Castle," Beckett requested as she crouched besides the newly dug hole in Central Park. Castle peered over her shoulder into the wooden rectangular box as he took her cup. He cringed at the look on their vic's face; he looked terrified.

"Was it the wound on the his head that killed him?" Beckett asked Lanie after getting a closer look at the wound on his forehead that was covered in blood.

"From what I can tell, it looks like suffocation might be the cause. His bloodshot eyes are a tell tale sign. But once I get him back to the morgue, I'll run more thorough tests and check his blood levels for CO2." Lanie said with a sigh.

"For his sake, I hope it was the hit on his head that did him in." Esposito said from his spot across from Beckett on the other side of the hole.

"Poor guy." Ryan shook his head sadly next to his partner. "Spending your last minutes in a coffin buried alive. In the dark with no where to go, feeling like the walls are closing in on him." Ryan shivered.

Beckett looked up at her junior partner with an amused grin. "Claustrophobic, Ryan?"

"Hide and seek gone wrong when I was a kid. I thought Gwen would never find me in the dryer...turns out I locked it after myself and Gwen couldn't reach the button. Had to wait a few hours for our dad to get home before I could get out."

"Bro, it serves you right for going in the dryer in the first place. You're lucky it didn't turn on and turn you into fried Leprechaun. Or were you too busy thinking of the walls that were only seconds away from turning you into a pancake." Esposito teased his partner with a smirk.

Ryan groaned. "I should have never mentioned it in front of you. Now I'll never hear the end of it."

"I promise I won't lock you in a closet later." Esposito said, but his face didn't look very convincing. Castle stuck his hand out to feed the birds with him.

Ryan narrowed his eyes at the two. "I hate you both."

Beckett stood up and dusted the dirt off her pants. "Ignore them, Ryan. Or else I'll push them in a ditch." She directed that last sentence to the writer and Hispanic detective. There was big sister Beckett protecting her little brother, Ryan.

"Thanks, Beckett." Ryan grinned cheekily as he stared at Esposito and Castle, as if saying, 'ha-ha, I'm Beckett's favorite."

"She's bluffing. I get that from her all the time and she hasn't pushed me into a ditch once," Castle whispered loudly to Esposito.

Lanie and Beckett shared an eyeroll before they backed away from the hole, that wasn't six feet, but it was still pretty deep. "Okay, guys, enough playing. Ryan and Espo, you head back to the 12th and run his name through the system. Check for girlfriends, boyfriends, family, anything. Castle and I will run a canvas around the neighborhood and see if anyone saw anything suspicious early this morning."

Ryan and Esposito both nodded before heading to their car. "We'll let you know if we find anything."

Beckett nodded as her and Castle turned around to start making their way around to find any clues.

They had a killer to find.

* * *

"Kev." Esposito paused his computer scrolling to look at his partner over his monitor. "There's just one thing I don't understand."

"Hmm," Ryan hummed questioningly as he continued his work.

"What possessed your microscopic brain to hide in a friggin' dryer?" Esposito asked and couldn't hold back a smile.

Ryan didn't even pick his head up; he stared at Esposito through his dark lashes with an unamused look on his face. "You're unbearable."

"I'm sorry," Javier said, but he was laughing.

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not," Javier agreed, and by then he was shaking with laughter.

Kevin huffed and went back to work. "I hate you."

Javier didn't take it to heart since he knew Kevin wasn't serious. "Does your Ma know about it? Because there is no way she would have kept that from me. She keeps my Kevin-Ryan-Blackmail list nice and long."

Finally Ryan looked up. "I still have a copy of that picture." Esposito's face blanched and Ryan grinned. "That's right. The one with you running around your backyard,  _butt naked._ I think you have the cutest little tush. Would you like to see if the rest of the 12th agrees?"

Esposito's laughter dwindled to nothing and his eyes narrowed. "I was six-years old."

There were a lot of ups to partners knowing each other's parents, but there was always that one thing that made you regret ever introducing them. It made holiday dinners easier when they all met up at one of their houses. And of course, it was a lot of fun to go through your partner's old photo albums and start stacking up blackmail. But they could also do the same to you.

"All's fair in love and war," Ryan replied with a cheeky grin.

Esposito muttered under his breath and turned back to his computer. He'd have to bring up the claustrophobia thing again later...after his pride healed.

* * *

As it turned out, Esposito never did get his chance to tease Ryan about the dryer thing again that night. They wanted to get this case finished before their three day swing, so they decided to split up. Ryan went to interview their vic, David Marks' girlfriend while Esposito went to go see his sister.

His interview with the sister went slowly, as he gave her some time to process the news of her brother's death before he started questioning her. He didn't think she was suspicious at all; she acted just like any of Ryan's sisters would have if they ever, God forbid, got news about Kevin like this.

Once she was finished using his shoulder to cry on and helping him go through anybody in David's life that would want him dead, Espo headed back to the precinct three hours later. He got some information on the girlfriend that would help; she and David were in a fight because she suspected him of cheating. Esposito knew that she would never disclose this information to Ryan when he spoke to her, so he took out his phone to call Ryan. No doubt he was already done and back at the precinct, but maybe he'd have a chance to run back and grab her before she tried to hide something.

Just as he was about to punch in Ryan's number, his phone lit up with  _BECKETT_ across the screen. He answered with, "Esposito."

" _Are you still with the sister, Espo?"_

"I just got out. Girl was a mess, I don't think it was her." Esposito informed her as he started to walk down the stairwell.

" _Is Ryan with you?"_

Esposito paused for a quick second of worry before brushing it off and continuing down the steps. "No. He isn't back yet?"

" _No,"_ Beckett said, " _maybe he just got held up like you. Or went to pick up a late lunch-early dinner."_

"I'll try his cell. Did you guys find anything?" He asked, finally reaching the bottom and heading towards his car.

" _Lanie just confirmed that Marks died from suffocation. Our killer probably just knocked him out with a blow to the head to get him in the coffin."_

"Do we have any clues who did it yet?" Esposito got in his car to start his drive back to the precinct.

" _We're waiting on prints off the coffin from CSU. And Lanie said Marks hands were covered in blisters; the killer forced him to dig his own grave."_

Esposito shook his head. "The killer had to be stronger than him, right? So maybe we're looking for a male."

" _The killer could have easily forced him to by pointing a gun to his head. Could've been female, too."_ Beckett sighed.

"Man, I hate this case."

" _Join the club. We'll see you soon. Castle and I'll keep digging."_ Beckett didn't sound pleased to be stuck at a dead end with their case.

Esposito hung up and concentrated on getting back to the precinct in one piece, rather than calling Ryan while he was driving. Even though part of him cried for him to call, to make sure he was  _okay_  and get that worry completely out of mind.

But that was ridiculous. His partner was a big boy. He could handle a simple questioning without having Esposito baby him. Esposito could wait five minutes to drive back to the precinct, then a few more minutes to get settled in before he went beserk.

He thought that reasoning would help him, but he was even closer to snapping when he entered the bullpen to find no Ryan.

_The girlfriend took it bad. She offered Ryan a quick meal before he left. Ryan stopped for something to eat. He lost track of time. He was lost in general. He was stuck in traffic._

None of the excuses seemed to help him as he fidgeted in his chair. Pulling out his phone, he tapped in Ryan's number and anxiously held the phone to his ear. "Pick up, pick up,  _pick up the damn_ -"

" _Hey, you've reached Kevin Ryan. Sorry I couldn't answer your call. My phone's either dead or I'm with Javi so call him."_

Esposito cursed and ended the call. They  _were_ always together. They weren't Ryan and Esposito, they were Ryan-and-Esposito. They were attached, as close as partners could possibly get. And Ryan  _always_ called Esposito when they split up during a case because he knew that Esposito got this nagging feeling in his gut when he didn't hear from his partner in a while. So why wasn't he calling  _now_?

"Come on." Beckett stood behind him, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"What?" He furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at the senior detective.

"I said, 'come on'. I can read it all over your face. Let's go find Ryan." She nudged his shoulder and he noticed that both her and Castle had their coats on and were ready to go.

Esposito didn't need to be told twice; he was on his feet with his jacket back on in a flash. "Where're we going?"

"The girlfriend, Pamela Kennedy's, apartment." Esposito nodded his head firmly as he followed them to the elevator.

He was going to find his partner.

* * *

Pamela Kennedy wasn't at her apartment when they get there. Neither was Ryan.

Esposito was knocking on her door for ten minutes straight even though he was convinced she truly wasn't home. But he kept on pounding until one of her neighbors got annoyed.

"I think if you haven't guessed by now, she's not home!" The woman sneered from her now open doorway.

Beckett held out her shield. "NYPD. Ma'am, we're looking for Pamela Kennedy. Do you know where she is?"

Seeing that they were cops, she softened her tone slightly, but not completely. "I don't know. I got home from work two hours ago and haven't her door open or close."

Esposito turned away from the door. "Do you have idea where she might be?"

"Maybe at her brother's? She hangs there a lot." The woman shrugged her shoulders before going back inside her apartment.

Esposito was already calling the precinct to get an address. They rushed to their car and Esposito thanked Gates for the info before he relayed the address to Beckett. It was only a few blocks away thankfully.

By now, they were all striding towards the apartment building. He lived on one of the lower floors so it didn't take long to get to his apartment. Esposito's hand was about to knock against the wooden door when the ringing of Beckett's phone interrupted him.

"It's Lanie," Beckett said quickly before taking the call. "What do you have for us, Lanie?"

" _Kate, I've got the prints on the coffin."_

Beckett was fairly certain that she knew whose they would find, it hurt so much more when she heard the name from Lanie. That made it official. That made this serious.

"Okay, thanks, Lanie." Beckett swallowed thickly as she hung up. She knew Esposito and Castle were standing, waiting for her to say something. "The prints…" She paused, looking hesitantly over to Esposito. She knew he would take the news the worst. "They belong to Pamela Kennedy."

* * *

Ryan should have known that something was wrong. When he entered her apartment sat down when she offered him a cup of tea with a smile, he should have arrested her then. Then he wouldn't have been forced, at gunpoint, into the car so she could drive them somewhere probably upstate.

He didn't get her monologue on why she was doing this. She gave him a warning that if he didn't do what she said, then she'd go after his partners next. So as she drove, one hand on the wheel and one holding a gun to his ribs, he stayed deathly still in the passenger seat.

After two hours of driving, she finally pulled up in front of a small cabin surrounded by a terrifying amount of woodland. She jabbed him painfully with the gun and said, "Get out."

Ryan stepped out and looked around at the emptiness of the property. It was pure trees. The perfect spot to hide a grave, he thought grimly. While he was looking around him, he felt a sudden prick on his arm. He turned his head just in time to see Pamela pull a needle out of his skin. "What-"

"Don't worry, it won't take full effect until an hour or so. I just don't need you to try anything while we're out here." She walked away to the bed of her truck and came back dragging a wooden rectangular box behind her. Ryan felt more nauseous just looking at it.

She dropped it at his feet and said, "Your grave, you carry it." He didn't want to, but he also didn't want to get shot. So he leaned down and pulled up one side to carry it on his back. She nudged him with the shovel in her hand. "Move."

Ryan could already feel the drug working its way through his body. He was screwed. There was no chance for him to overpower her and get back to the city safely. Now he was stuck dragging himself with the coffin on his back to his death until he was found.

But he wasn't going to give up. Whatever strength he had left before the drug sapped it all, he was going to put to good use. He quickly dropped the large wooden box and turned around to throw a punch to her face, but the drug had done its job and his swing was sloppy and she easily jumped out of the way. He swung again, though, and this time he got her on the cheek. Not hard enough since she was able to lift the shovel and smash Ryan in the forehead with it. He fell to the ground with a groan.

Pamela laughed above him. "Nice try, but you're not getting away. They'll never find you. Hell, I probably won't even be able to find you after I leave."

Ryan tried not to think of it. What was going to happen to him if Esposito and the others didn't find him soon. He closed his eyes, hoping to get out of this nightmare. He laid still on the ground, trying to get the world to stop spinning around him.

He was okay with laying in the ground until he froze to death in the December air if it meant he didn't have to get locked in that coffin. Pamela had different plans. He felt the sharp blade of the shovel dig into his leg when she hit him. "Get up, we don't got all night."

With a muted groan, Ryan picked himself up and the coffin, too and continued to walk through the trees. The sun was setting and soon there'd be no sunlight to light the way or give what little warmth he could get. He really wished he hadn't taken off his jacket in her apartment.

For another half hour, they walked twists and turns through the trees. He stumbled a few times as the drug started to hit him harder, but he only ever fell to his knees. He was up again after a smack from the shovel. No doubt he would have some bruises tomorrow and he may have to get stitches from where the blade broke skin...that is if he survived this.

"Stop," she ordered abruptly.

Ryan stopped and his numb fingers (whether from the cold or the drugs, he couldn't tell) dropped the coffin behind him. He flinched, waiting for another hit, but instead she thrusted the shovel into his hands.

If drugs weren't muddling his brain, he would have been able to understand what she was asking. Instead, he stood there frozen, unsure of what to do. "I don' un'erstan'..." he slurred.

Pamela rolled her eyes. "Dig, idiot!" When he still didn't move, she pulled out her gun and fired at his feet. If she had been aiming for his foot, she would have hit him; his reaction was slow and ungraceful as he jumped and fell to the dirt with an 'oof'. "Move or else your leg will have a new hole."

He fumbled for the shovel, missing it a few times before he finally had it in his hands. With one last glance towards the gun, he started to dig his own grave.

* * *

"Mr. Kennedy, have you seen your sister recently?" Beckett asked the moment that he let them into his apartment.

The man looked between the three and answered slowly, "Yeah a day or so ago...why?"

Esposito stood in front of the man and narrowed his eyes. In a growl, he said, "Your sister's boyfriend was found dead, buried alive this morning. We found her prints on the coffin." Esposito leaned closer, hoping this man felt frightened enough to give them all the answers they needed. "My partner went to talk to her and he  _disappeared_."

Kennedy's eyes widened. "Look, man, I don't know where she is or if she has your partner. I mean, the last time I saw her, she said she was going to a charity event and help fix up this neighborhood garden. She needed to borrow a shovel, I gave it to her and she left. I haven't seen her since."

Esposito felt his heart drop. "A  _shovel_?"

Kennedy nodded feverishly. "Listen, she's a good girl. I'm sure this is all just a mistake."

Esposito didn't want to hear that bullshit. He surged forward and shoved the man against the wall. " _Where. Is. Your. Sister_?!"

Kennedy's eyes flickered back towards Castle and Beckett expecting them to stop Esposito. But they didn't move. He focused his attention back on Esposito. "I'll call her, okay? She'll pick up for me."

Esposito eyed him closely before he let go and shoved him towards the wall phone. Kennedy quickly dialed her sister's number. She picked up right away. "Hey, Pam. How're you?"

Esposito waved his hands, telling him to get on with it. Kennedy fumbled, "Y-yeah, I'm doing fine. I was just wondering where you were right now…" Kennedy nodded as his sister spoke. "Oh, you're home? No, I was just wondering if you were in the mood to go out for dinner." Another pause. "Maybe another time. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Pam."

Once he hung up, Esposito demanded, "Tell me, was that her home phone number?"

"Uh, y-yeah, she said she just got home-,"

Esposito was running out the door before he could finish his sentence. Beckett narrowed her eyes and warned, "Don't leave town."

Castle and Beckett rushed behind Esposito. "I feel like I'm on a fucking goose chase." Castle panted as they ran back to the car.

"Let's just hope she's there," Beckett said. She had the car tearing down the street before Castle fully had his door shut.

When they got back to her apartment and busted down her door without knocking, they found her. She was sitting on her couch, watching television like nothing was wrong. She looked up with no concern. "I'm sorry, you are?"

"You know who we are, Pamela. And you know why we're here." Beckett stepped forward, taking her handcuffs out.

"Why am I under arrest? I was just sitting here watching television after an evening jog." She feigned innocence, even though they could all tell she was acting.

Esposito ignored her and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number he knew like the back of his hand and just like he knew it would, a familiar ringtone started to fill the room. For the first time, Pamela didn't look so confident.

Esposito narrowed his eyes and followed the sound to a small table by the door. He didn't know whether he wanted to cry or scream. On the table was his partner's jacket and when Esposito reached into the pocket, he pulled out his phone that now read  _2 MISSED CALLS FROM JAVI_.

Esposito stormed back to the sitting area with a phone clenched in one hand and his coat in the other. "Then why is this in your apartment?"

Pamela was silent and frightened. "I- I don't know who that belongs to. I've never seen it in my l-life."

Beckett ignored her obvious lies and snapped the cuffs on her wrists. "Pamela Kennedy, you are under arrest for the murder of David Marks and the abduction of NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan."

* * *

"You're screwed, Pamela." Beckett said as her and Esposito walked into the interrogation room. "We've got your prints on the coffin, once we get that security footage from Central Park we'll see you with David. And when we find that shovel your brother gave you how much do you wanna bet that it will have David's blood on it?"

Pamela narrowed her eyes and didn't say a word.

"Confess and maybe the DA will make a deal with you if you tell us where Detective Ryan is." Beckett narrowed her eyes right back.

"We all know the DA won't give me any deals."

"Is that a confession, Miss Kennedy?" Beckett asked, taking a seat while Esposito continued to stand.

A smirk grew on her face as she stared at Esposito, who was fuming next to Beckett.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "It depends. Can I tell you how easy it was? How even after I drugged him, he tried to fight me, but he was no match." She looked from Beckett to Esposito, holding his gaze. "How wide those pretty blues eye of his were."

She shook her head with a laugh. "He was so out of it, yet he was with me the whole time. When I tried to push him in, he had a death grip on me; almost brought me down with him. He must really hate enclosed spaces, huh?" she whistled, leaning back in her chair.

That was the last straw for Esposito. He lounged at her quickly and grabbed her blouse in his fist. "Where the fuck is he? I won't ask you again," he snarled.

Pamela wasn't fazed a bit by Esposito's aggressiveness. "You must be Javier." She watched Esposito's eyes widen a fraction of an inch.  _Bingo._ "He called for you, you know? He told me his partners were gonna find him just before I threw him in." She leaned closer to Esposito. "When he hit the bottom- hard might I add- he kept mumbling your name. I covered him and he screamed. ' _Javier, help me. Javier, please. Javier. Javier. Javi-"_

Pamela wasn't able to finish her impression of Ryan before she was thrown to the ground. She landed painfully and uncomfortably; the chair was still attached to the cuffs on her wrists. Esposito kneeled beside her and held her shoulder tight enough to bruise. "Tell me where he is.  _Now._ "

"Why?" She asked behind clenched teeth. "I'm not getting out of this and I'm getting no deal from the D.A. I'm not telling you shit."

"Tell me."

"Fine!" She shouted. "I'll tell you in three days so you can collect his corpse."

Esposito had to summon a lot of self control not to punch her face right there. " _Tell me,_ " he repeated.

They both narrowed their eyes and held contact for a few seconds before she said, "Fine, you want a hint?  _He's underground._ "

Esposito felt his heart stutter when his suspicions were confirmed. "Where underground?"

She rolled her eyes underneath Esposito and said, "You're the detective.  _Go figure it out_."

* * *

"I'm going to call every park in the city and see if they see anything like what was found this morning," Captain Gates said after they came out of interrogation. She had been watching in the observation room with Castle.

Beckett nodded. "And we're going to check if her or her brother have any property that could she could use. The neighbor said she wasn't home for at two or three hours. I don't think she hid him in the city…"

"Six hours...it's been since hours since he left." Esposito kicked the side of his desk. "I should have went with him. We should have worried about getting this case down quickly  _after_ we worried about our own safety."

"We split up all the time," Castle said, trying to make Esposito feel better. "There's no way you could have known it would turn sour this time."

"Tell me when you get something," Esposito said briskly, walking away from the three.

"Where are you going?" Beckett didn't want him getting himself into trouble.

"Bathroom," he snipped and stormed off.

Beckett ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "Usually Ryan's here to cool him down."

"I'll go talk to him," Castle offered. "I'm no Ryan, but I'm still a friend."

Beckett smiled as she watched him go. "Thanks, Castle. I'll stay here and look for any properties."

Castle found Esposito hunched over one of the bathroom sinks, breathing heavy. Castle looked from the broken mirror in front of him to his bloody knuckles gripping the side of the sink. "Uh, Espo?" Castle called hesitantly.

"What do you want, Castle?" Esposito seethed, not moving from his spot.

"Just making sure you don't do anything-"

Esposito whirled around and interrupted the writer. "What? Something  _stupid_? Too late, Castle, I already let my partner go alone and now he's  _gone_. And it's all my fault."

"No, it's not." Castle was not going to let Esposito beat himself up over this.

"Don't tell me-"

"Listen to me for one second." It was Castle's turn to interrupt him. "What if it were the other way around? What if  _you_ were the one to go to the girlfriend? Would it have been Ryan's fault that you were taken?"

Esposito looked up at Castle and his narrowed eyes softened. "Of course not, but Castle, I-"

"There's no more excuses, Esposito. What's done is done. Now we find him."

Esposito looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded his head with a resigned sigh.

"Guys," Beckett said, sticking her head into the restroom. "We've got something."

Beckett left with Castle and Esposito right on her heels. "Where is he?"

The three were automatically heading towards the elevator. "Kennedy's parents owned a few dozens acres upstate and after they died it went to Pamela and her brother."

"How long will it take?" Esposito asked once they entered the elevator and they waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the ground floor.

"At the speed I'll be driving, no more than an hour." Beckett said as they finally were able to exit the elevator. "Gates is getting in touch with the local PD up there right now. They'll start looking while we drive up there. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Dammit," Esposito cursed under his breath. That's what he was afraid of.

* * *

In the the car with the lights flashing and Beckett's foot pressing on the pedal, they were making good time. They were a few minutes out of the land when Beckett got a call. "Detective Kate Beckett," she answered, while keeping her eyes on the road in front of her. Most cars were moving out of the way anyway.

"We're almost there. Have you found anything?" Beckett paused for an answer and cursed into the phone. "Will you have someone there to meet us? We can take a part not being searched. We're not going to stop until we find him." Beckett nodded. "Okay, we'll see you soon. Good luck."

"They didn't find anything. It's hard with no sunlight, but we're not giving up." Beckett informed Castle and Esposito hung up the phone.

Esposito drummed his fingers on his knees anxiously. Ryan split up with Esposito at two and five was when they realized that Ryan was gone. They only found Pamela an hour ago, at six. It was now just after seven and the sun sets early in New York during winter.

"We're gonna meet up with the chief of police a the property line. They've got tons of extra batteries for our flashlights and a few shovels." Beckett gripped the wheel tighter.

 _Shovels._  Esposito swallowed, looking out the window. Esposito still didn't want to believe that his partner was buried underground somewhere. His partner, his best friend, who only hours ago he was teasing about locking in a closet. He let out a shaky breath.

He turned around around when he felt a soft touch on his arm. Beckett had the car pulled over; Esposito didn't even remembering arriving. He rushed to unbuckle himself, but Beckett stopped him. "Espo, we're going to find him. But you have to take a deep breath and screw your head on straight." He averted his eyes from her. "I know you. You're going to barge out there, going crazy looking for him and I get it. I want to run around 'til we find him, too. But they have a system and if we stick to their system then we'll find him."

Esposito chuckled dryly. They had a system just like Ryan had a system. He hoped there's worked better. "An hour and a half, Kate, maybe longer he's been in there. We all know where she put him...he called for me," Esposito whispered, picking his head up. "And I wasn't there to save him."

Beckett rubbed his arm again with a soft smile. "Then we better get going so when he gets out, you're there for him."

* * *

Ryan wasn't sure how long exactly he'd been there, but he knew it was too long. He didn't remember much after he started digging. His hands hurt, no doubt bleeding and covered in blisters from digging.

When he finished, he collapsed against the wall of the four foot hole. Every bone in his body ached. She dragged him out of the hole so she could push in the coffin. Before he knew it, she had her hands wrapped around his button down shirt and was pushing him forward. Ryan's heart skipped a beat when he knew what was coming up. He tried to hold on, but the drugs were making him see three of everything and he couldn't control any muscle in his body correctly.

So she dropped him in unceremoniously and nailed the top on before Ryan heard the patter of dirt as she continued to cover the hole. He screamed his partner name not until his throat grew raw, but until the drugs rendered him unconscious.

Now, God only knew how much later, he was trapped in the wooden coffin he had dragged through the trees.

He was doing his best to control his breathing; if he let himself fall into a panic attack then he would waste more oxygen.

Earlier that morning when he didn't even want to imagine what David Marks went through, he was so wrong. Being trapped underground, helpless, was much worse than just feeling like the walls were shrinking. The dark made it worse and Ryan hadn't be able to hold himself back from flailing his arms around in panic several times.

He had made the mistake of letting his thoughts focus solely being stuck, nailed shut in a coffin covered by dirt in some forest where his friends had no idea where he was. And he cracked. He let out a sob and slapped his palm against the wood above him. Whatever blisters that had started to heal, oozed blood again and his fingertips were starting to loose layers of skin as he scratched on the walls and ceiling of the coffin.

"Javi…" He sobbed with one last swing of his hand. He let his muscles react, still sore from the leftover side effects of the drug. At least he wasn't dizzy and nauseous anymore. He was still tired and eyes were starting to feel heavy from the limited amount of oxygen. But he was afraid to close his eyes and they wouldn't open up again.

And his fingers, ears and nose were numb from the bitter cold that his thin button down shirt did little to protect him against. He really wished he hadn't left his coat at Pamela's apartment. His phone was also in there...not that he would get reception down here. But at least he wouldn't be completely in the dark.  _The dark-_

He had to keep himself calm and his thoughts off the dark and how cramped his legs and arms began to feel and he wanted nothing more than to get out of here and stretch and breath clean air, not this musty and stale-

Ryan whimpered, getting himself worked up all over again. He pushed against the walls hoping to break out. He knew he wasn't thinking rationally because there was no possible way for him to break the wood that was practically cemented in by the dirt and even if there wasn't the wood separating him then the dirt would immediately crush him and rocks and pebbles would fill his airways-

Ryan cleared those thoughts from his head as well. He just needed to think of something that wouldn't trigger him into another attack. He needed something that calm his nerves. His mind immediately went to his best friends.

He thought about how Castle always came up with the craziest theories and somehow along the way managed to convince him it was very plausible and then when Beckett rolled her eyes at them for suggesting such crazy things and how Esposito always teased about being Castle's shadow during that night's Madden game.

Ryan smiled for the first time since he showed up at Pamela's apartment that afternoon. If he just continued to think about his family, he would be okay until they came to save him.

* * *

"Do you guys see anything?" Esposito asked, shining his flashlight down at the ground.

"No," Beckett responded patiently even though Esposito had asked that question at least once every five minutes.

"We've been looking for over an hour...I mean I would have thought  _someone_ would have found him now." Esposito sighed, but didn't stop sweeping his light across the dirt.

"Uh, Espo, I wouldn't doubt that…" Castle said slowly.

Esposito whipped his head to where the writer had his beam of light pointed to. Esposito wanted to cry in relief when he saw a mound of freshly moved dirt. Without hesitation, Esposito was running over to where his partner was buried.

He threw the flashlight to the ground and immediately started to dig. Castle rushed over and set up Esposito's and his flashlights so they still gave them some light on where they needed to dig. Castle then hurried to help Esposito.

"Chief Willis, this is Detective Beckett. We found him." Beckett was already calling in for more help and definitely an ambulance for Ryan when they got him out. She used an app on her phone to pinpoint their location and read out the latitude and longitude of where they were. That was the only possible way of anyone finding them.

When she went to help her partners, she wasn't surprised to see they already had a sizable dent. She took a deep breath before she began to dig. It still seem surreal that they were trying to unbury her partner. Her little brother who had never done one wrong thing in the world to deserve something like this.

"Come on!" Esposito suddenly yelled as they just kept hitting dirt.

"We're almost there, Espo," Beckett said as she threw another shovel of dirt behind her.

"We're so close and he's probably so upset right now. Who knows how long he's been here and he's  _claustrophobic_." Beckett and Castle watched as the more that Esposito raged, the more dirt he was angrily getting out of the way. "I'm going to kill that bitch and then bring her back to life just so I can stuff her in a fucking crate and bury her. Let's see how she likes it."

Castle shrugged his shoulders as he exchanged a look with Beckett. He needed to get his anger out some way.

Esposito kept throwing off dirt and with Castle and Beckett's help, soon Esposito's shovel connected with something other than dirt. He paused for a minute, staring wide eyed at the exposed wood before he used his shove to wipe away the leftover dirt. He fell to his knees and started to run his hands over the top. "Castle, point the flashlight down."

"Got it." Castle grabbed two flashlights and pointed them down on the detective on top the coffin, inspecting it.

"I can't find any way to take the lid off," he said frantically. He dropped his head to the wood and put his ear against it before picking his head up again and yelling directly to the top of the coffin lid. "Kevin? Kevin, can you hear me?"

There was no answer, but Esposito wasn't going to give up. "Listen to me, Kev, knock once if you can hear me and twice if you can't."

"How is he supposed to know to knock twice if he can't hear-" Castle was interrupted by a soft thud.

At the sound of that small knock, Esposito felt like he could break down right there. They weren't too late; they could still save his partner. "We'll get you out soon. Just hang in there, partner." Esposito yelled. He turned to Beckett and said, "We gotta get him out."

She was surprised to see tears building in the corner of his eyes. She quickly wiped the shock off her face and nodded her head. "Chief Willis is coming with his guys. They have the tools."

"I just need a hammer. Just a friggin' hammer." Esposito was clawing at the nails when they heard voices calling.

"Detective Beckett!"

Beckett turned her flashlight towards the other beams leaking through the trees. "Over here, Chief." Beckett waved her flashlight momentarily over to where she could see a group of first responders.

Once the Chief saw Esposito kneeling in the newly dug ditch, he ran over with a large box. "I've got drills, crowbars-"

"Do you have a hammer?" Esposito asked desperately as he got off the crate.

Chief Willis hastily pulled out two hammers and they started to pull out the nails. But it was taking too long for Esposito; he needed Kevin out now. He threw the hammer behind him and replaced it with a crowbar.

"Espo, you've got to loosen the nails first," Beckett said as Castle picked up the hammer to help Chief Willis at the body of the coffin.

"No, I don't," he grunted as he wedged the crowbar between the lid and bottom. If this were any other situation, Esposito wouldn't have been able to crack it open. But this wasn't any other situation. This was his best friend trapped inside fighting for his life.

In three leveraged pushes, he had the top half undone, but he couldn't reach Ryan until the bottom was undone. He looked over to where Castle and Willis paused to stare at him in shock. "Get out of the way," Esposito growled and they didn't have to be told twice. In a swift yank, Esposito pulled off the lid and threw it to the side.

He took in a deep breath as the flashlights from above all trained in the man lying half-conscious in the dirty box.

"Ryan!" Esposito almost fell into the hole as he leaned over to get to him. Ryan didn't move to make it any easier to get him out. "Oh, Kev," he said as as he dragged Ryan's dead weight out of that God forsaken death trap.

Castle and Beckett dropped to their knees and helped him lift Ryan out. "J'vi," he mumbled once he was in his partner's arms.

Esposito nodded and tried to catch his partner's eyes. He frowned when he noticed Ryan wasn't meeting his eyes and kept fidgeting in his arms.

"Kevin, what's wrong?" Esposito placed a hand on Ryan's chest to make sure his heart continued to beat.

Ryan didn't answer.

"Ry-"

There was suddenly a new voice in his ear. "Don't worry, Detective, your partner just has too much carbon dioxide in the blood right now. From just a quick look I think you made it just in time."

Esposito looked over the newcomer and realized she was a doctor there to help Ryan. "Is he okay?"

The doctor kneeled and she gave him once over. "Yes, he just needs some time to grow coherent. I want to get him back to the ambulance and get him some oxygen and we'll have to check out the gash on his head."

Esposito nodded and turned to his partner. "Hear that, bro? You're okay, but you need to get some oxygen in your system. Can you make the walk back?"

Ryan looked at the doctor and then wearily back at Esposito. "M'legs hurt."

Esposito looked down in concern at his legs, but knew now wasn't the right time to ask anything. He wouldn't get an answer from Ryan anyway. "You want to lay down and rest for a few minutes before we start?"

Ryan tried pushing himself off the ground with wide eyes. "No more laying down. Please!"

Esposito kept a hand on Ryan to keep him grounded. He didn't even think about the fact that Ryan had been laying down for hours. "Okay, no more. And no more coffin, okay, Kevin?"

Ryan moved closer to Esposito's side as he glanced at the hole. He dug his nails in Esposito's arm. Esposito knew the crowd around them was growing and all eyes were on them. He just wanted to get Kevin out of the woods where he could get the help he needed. That cut on his head didn't look too good and Esposito didn't know if lips were blue because of the lack of oxygen or the cold. He threw his jacket over Ryan's shoulders just in case.

"I'm gonna lift you up, Kevin, okay? We'll get outta here faster." Ryan didn't say a word, he only coughed so he carefully lifted him bridal style.

"Do you need help, Espo?" Castle was quickly by his side.

Esposito looked around at the small crowd that gathering and then back at the loyal writer. "Ryan's still a little confused and I don't want him to be overwhelmed. You and Beckett stay close as we walk back so all he sees is us."

Castle gave him an amused grin. "Yes, Papa Bear."

Esposito rolled his eyes. "Shut up and walk."

* * *

_It was dark and cold and cramped._

_Ryan tried to get out, but he couldn't. Just above him, only dirt and the wood separating them, he could hear his partner. But he his shouts were getting more distant and distant until he heard nothing._

_Ryan screamed for Javier until his throat went raw but that didn't help. He was stuck and he could feel himself slipping under. Ryan didn't want to leave and he tried so hard to hang on but he couldn't hold on anymore. There wasn't a point. He was going to die in this cold, dark box._

"Kevin!"

Ryan's eyes shot open at the sound. It was his partner, but he didn't seem as muffled as he had only moments ago. And it wasn't dark anymore...it was all white? Was this heaven? That explained hearing his partner's voice.

"Javi?" He tried to say, but it sounded like he was talking through cotton balls. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Hold on, bro, let me get that mask off you." And then there was Javi in his sights reaching towards him. He looked like crap with the bags under his eyes and the uncombed hair, Ryan noted.

When Javier pulled his hands away, he took an unknown pressure off his mouth. Ryan followed Javier's movement back to his seat. Then his eyes turned to himself, lying in a hospital bed. Why was in a hospital if this was supposedly Heaven?

Javier stared at him in concern. "You okay, Kev? Want me to put the oxygen back on."

So that's what mask he was referring to and why he no longer felt it against his mouth and nose. And suddenly he realized it wasn't effortless to breathe anymore. And this all had such a real life feel to it; this was one vivid dream.

"Give him a second, Espo. He's gotta fight off the drugs, the lack of oxygen and that nasty bruise on his head." Ryan's eyes moved to Beckett who was sitting on the other side of his bed with Castle by her side.

"I don't even think he understands us, Beckett." Esposito sighed heavily. "You saw how restless he was. He probably thinks he's still in that damn coffin."

Ryan couldn't help his cringe that caught the others' attention, but he played it off. "I can hear you, Javi."

Javier's eyes widened and he jumped from his seat. "Why didn't you answer me, man? I thought something went wrong. You passed out in the ambulance and we didn't know if you were okay."

"I was just thinking," Ryan said.

Javier chuckled, relief evident on his face. "Don't hurt yourself."

Ryan stared at Javier, the Javier that made his heart feel too warm to be an allusion. "I'm not dead…?"

Javier's smile was wiped off his and the room went silent. Ryan cleared his throat. "I mean, the last thing I remember was being...in there…"

"You don't remember us getting you out, Ryan?" Beckett asked, bringing his attention to her.

"I don't think so. I'm trying not to remember most of it." He looked down at his lap, trying to hide the shame in his eyes.

Of course his partner could read him like an open book. "You know we're proud of you, Kev. For hanging in there until we got there."

"Thanks, Javi," Kevin whispered with a small smile. Of course Javier didn't know that the only way he kept going was the thought of him.

* * *

The next day (technically night since that was the earliest that Captain Gates let him come in), Ryan made Javier drive him into work. He was on strict desk duty for the next week or so, but Ryan just needed the familiarity of the precinct.

Not that any of his injuries required constant attention, Ryan still was staying in Esposito's apartment for now. Ryan didn't complain; he didn't want to be alone and he knew that Esposito could sense that.

"Kevin, if you want we can go back home-"

"No, I'm okay," Ryan interrupted him as they walked into the precinct. Esposito nodded and started towards the elevator, but Ryan stopped him. "Uh, Javi, do you mind if we take the stairs today? I just-"

Esposito immediately understood and he walked to Ryan's side. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Kevin. If something makes you uncomfortable, just tell me."

Ryan smiled gratefully as they walked towards the staircase. Just the thought of being in the closed and confined elevator space was making him nauseous. He just kept imagining that coffin and every time he closed his eyes, he felt like he was locked in the darkness again. He hadn't slept since he got home from the hospital last night. But, he hoped Esposito wouldn't notice. Eventually, he would, but for now he was oblivious.

They walked up the stairs slowly and quietly. Esposito kept an eye out in case Ryan stumbled; he knew that Ryan was still having trouble with his legs. They were still stitched up and bandaged from all the whacking he got from the shovel. And Esposito took his hand for support so Ryan didn't have to grab the wood banister with the blisters all of his hands. His had would be much softer to hold onto.

WHen they reached the Homicide floor, Ryan looked over at Esposito for last minute reassurance and he nodded his head with a smile. Ryan took a deep breath and walked through the door to the bullpen.

The moment they walked through the door, all eyes were on them. Ryan moved back closer to Esposito's side just for the security. He didn't know what his fellow officers and detectives would say.  _How could you be so stupid? How did you get overpowered by a girl? How-_

The room erupted into clapping as everyone in the room stood up from their chairs. Ryan didn't move. He had never gotten this before. Sure, he'd done it for Beckett several times, but he was never on the receiving end.

Esposito nudged his back lightly and pushed him forward. Ryan walked through the bullpen to his desk and passed cops that clapped and patted his shoulders and welcomed him back. Ryan nodded his thanks with flushed cheeks. All of this just for him.

Before he even reached their desk cluster, he was engulfed in a hug. "Good to see you back, buddy."

Ryan was caught off guard by the strong set of arms around him, but this was a familiar hug. It was meant to be comforting not trapping. So Ryan hugged the man back. "Thanks, Castle."

It was going to be a rough start back, trying to get over the haunting thoughts of that damned coffin for a few weeks, but Ryan knew he could get through it with his friends by his side.


End file.
